It's Quiet thread 14 - 'do one' edition

[balotelli's back pocket]

Should we move Rodri to the number 8 position and buy a Zakaria type? We know that Pep liked one of Silva or Gundo in the 8 to help control the game, playing Rodri there could allow us to go back to the midfield balance we had at our best. I just think Pep doesn't think Phil or Bernardo have the intelligence yet.

Zakaria/Dinho
KDB/Bernardo Rodri/Gundo
Foden/Mahrez Kun/Jesus Sterling/Torres

Rodri for me is a technically great player, good passer, strong and a goal threat, but not mobile enough to play 6. He could be a revelation a little higher up the pitch. At least then when he presses and gets beaten for pace we still have another midfielder behind him.

 

[cjn]

Yes he and his mates are

Pretty sure "Kate babes" isn't a he.

 

[Gumzy97]

We need a midfield destroyer. Rodri is brilliant when he has someone next to him sweeping up. Get Partey 50mil euros release clause, knows how to play with rodri we need him.

 

[GBrannan]

Rodri may have single handedly ruined Pep's expected balance to the side. He's a great passer, very physical, but if you leave him alone in counters it's just too easy for opposition, then you end up having to play someone alongside him for it to work, and that takes away the creativity of our midfield as KDB the only one left.

Lack of press is a secondary issue, but it's alarming how bad the tackling was as well.

He’s not a great passer at all. He’s slow at getting the ball under control and his passing range is nothing like good enough. When he does pass it the ball is floated so teams can shuffle across and stay compact. Fernandinho isn’t quite the player he was but his passing is still way ahead of Rodri and playing back in the middle it’s been clear to see.

The rest of the post is bang on.

 

[RayCTID]

We need a midfield destroyer. Rodri is brilliant when he has someone next to him sweeping up. Get Partey 50mil euros release clause, knows how to play with rodri we need him.

No midfield signing this season. Dias will probably be the last one

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

Should we move Rodri to the number 8 position and buy a Zakaria type? We know that Pep liked one of Silva or Gundo in the 8 to help control the game, playing Rodri there could allow us to go back to the midfield balance we had at our best. I just think Pep doesn't think Phil or Bernardo have the intelligence yet.

Zakaria/Dinho
KDB/Bernardo Rodri/Gundo
Foden/Mahrez Kun/Jesus Sterling/Torres

Rodri for me is a technically great player, good passer, strong and a goal threat, but not mobile enough to play 6. He could be a revelation a little higher up the pitch. At least then when he presses and gets beaten for pace we still have another midfielder behind him.

This so obvious

 

[manimanc]

Pretty sure "Kate babes" isn't a he.

Pretty sure you are very gullible.

 

[cjn]

Pretty sure you are very gullible.

I couldn't care less who this person is tbh.

 

[GBrannan]

We need a midfield destroyer. Rodri is brilliant when he has someone next to him sweeping up. Get Partey 50mil euros release clause, knows how to play with rodri we need him.

But then you’re playing Rodri as an 8. There are loads of better options than him as an 8, even if it’s as a more defensive 8. He’s so limited on the ball it’s just compounding the problem.

He’s either a 6, which he’s currently not good enough at in this team and league, or needs making into centre half like Pep did with Martinez at Bayern.

 

[Pam]

It’s the cumulative deterioration in the team though that’s making these wider deficiencies more apparent. Today was an extreme example where the team fell off a cliff but the warning signs have been there for a while.

Our left back options have been poor for a while and will get exploited more and more because our defensive midfielders can’t do what Fern used to do.

I'm afraid we have a rebuild job to do and the club seem to be the last ones to notice.